Optical transceivers are used to transmit and receive optical signals for various applications including, without limitation, internet data center, cable TV broadband, and fiber to the home (FTTH) applications. Optical transceivers provide higher speeds and bandwidth over longer distances, for example, as compared to transmission over copper cables. The desire to provide higher speeds in smaller optical transceiver modules for a lower cost has presented challenges, for example, with respect to thermal management, insertion loss, and manufacturing yield.
Optical transceiver modules generally include one or more laser diode packages for housing a laser diode and for providing electrical connections and optical couplings to the laser diode. One challenge with optical transceiver modules is providing thermal management, especially with new optical transceiver modules that are designed to provide higher data rates within a relatively small form factor. In particular, the heat generated by the laser diode and associated components in the laser package may adversely affect the laser wavelengths or potentially even damage the laser and/or other components. Conventional TO can laser packages do not provide good heat conduction because the rounded surfaces of the TO can package do not provide sufficient contact for thermal coupling with other surfaces.